Canned Maple Syrup

I recently bought a bunch of maple syrup extract off of amazon.com and found a recipe for canning maple syrup.  It's so easy and one little bottle of extract makes a ton of syrup.  Of course you could just stock up on the store brands, but regardless, here's a recipe for those interested.

 

Maple Syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
2 T corn syrup
1 t maple extract
Bring sugar, water and corn syrup to a boil.  Add extract.  Pour into sterilized jars and wipe edges.  Place lids on and process pints in a water bath for 7 minutes.  (I actually did not process my jars.  I turned them over, over a sink (sometimes the syrup runs out and is hot) and then turn the jar right side up.  The syrup is so hot that as it cools it seals the lid.)  You can decide what is best for you.

For thicker syrup, follow the same directions only use 2 cups of sugar and 1/2 t extract.

May Group Specials

  Get at least ten 8-packs of Utility Flame Gel Packets and you’ll only pay $10.00 for each 8-pack. The Utility Flame Gel is an eco-friendly, nontoxic fire-starting gel that doesn’t produce smoke or odor. Its only byproducts are water, sand, and carbon dioxide. It also doesn’t evaporate, freeze, or melt—and it’s water soluble. All you have to do is tear open the package, squeeze out the gel and light it!


Instant White Rice, packed for long-term storage, is on sale for $8.00 per can when you buy 12 or more. This is a just-add-water product; it’s ready to eat in just 5 minutes. 48 ounces of instant rice for $8.00.
#10 cans of Tomato Powder are part of the group specials.  Each can has a net weight of 68 ounces – 12 cans for the special price of  $16.00 each.

Freeze dried miniature meatballs $23 each when at least 6 cans are purchased.
Burnfree pain relieving gel 4 oz. bottle $3 each when at least 24 bottles are purchased 


Please mark down what you would like.

Survival Kit out of an Altoid Tin?!?

I'm intrigued by this mainly because I like miniature things!  It's also amazing everything fits in an Altoid tin.  Check it out!


http://www.fieldandstream.com/photos/gallery/survival/food/2006/08/make-survival-kit-out-altoids-tin-and-two-more-life-saving-diy-?photo=0#node-1000014438

Emergency Binders for Important Documents

I found this online http://foodstorageandsurvival.com/emergency-notebooks/
I have something similar at my house.  I took a binder and for each family member put their birth certificate, passport and social security card in a plastic sheet protector. I also did the same with our car titles, and any other important info.  I still need to do the other stuff on this list.  Katie Wilde has some printables she will be giving out soon to help with this organization. 

Can anyone think of anything missing from this list?


Proof of Identification
*Driver’s License
*Concealed weapons permit/s
*Birth Certificates
*Social Security Cards
*Passports
*Marriage License
Property Records
*Mortgage/Deed
*Rental agreement
*Video, photos, lists of inventory (my insurance guy said to make sure I am in the photos or video–better proof that it was actually my stuff I guess)
*Receipts for major purchases
*Payment record for major repairs
*Appraisals of jewelry, other valuables
*Titles to vehicles
*Cemetery lot information
*Firearm inventory/Serial Numbers
Insurance Policies
*Homeowners
*Health
*Life
*Disability
*Automobile
Medical Information
*Immunizations, other records
*Prescription information (drug, dosage)
*Health Insurance ID Cards
*Physicians names and phone numbers
*Living will
*History of illnesses, accidents, surgeries
*Power of Attorney for health care
*Dental records
Estate Planning
*Wills, trusts
*Power of attorney
*Funeral instructions
*Attorney’s name and phone number
Financial Records
*Tax returns (2 years)
*Credit cards front and back
*Stocks, bonds, CD’s, money market
*Recent bank statement
Other
*Personal address book
*Backup of important computer files
*Usernames and passwords for online accounts
*Key to safety deposit box
*Recent photograph
*List of where original documents are kept
*Extra set of car and house keys
*Map of area and phone numbers of places you could go in case of evacuation
*Numbers of gas and electric company
*Emergency numbers

Things I Learned From Hurricane Sandy

Things I Learned From Hurricane Sandy

Written by Frank Ostmann

1. The excitement and coolness wears off around day 3
2. You are never really prepared to go weeks without power, heat, water etc. Never!
3. Yes it can happen to you.
4. Just because your generator runs like a top, does not mean its producing electricity.
5. If you do not have water stored up you are in trouble.
a. A couple of cases of bottled water is “NOT” water storage
6. Should have as much fuel as water
    a. Propane
    b. Gas
    c. Kerosene
    d. Firewood
    e. Firestarter, (kindling, paper, etc)
7. Even the smallest little thing that you get from the store should be stocked up...
(spark plug for the generator, BBQ lighter, etc)
8. If you are not working, chances are nobody else is either.
9. I was surprised how quickly normal social behavior goes out the window. I am not talking about someone cutting in line at the grocery store.
    a. 3 people were killed at gas stations within 50 miles of my home.
    b. I did not say 3 fights broke out, 3 people were killed.
10. Cash is king (all the money in your savings means nothing)
11. Stored water can taste nasty.
12. You eat a lot more food when you are cold
13. You need more food than you think if your kids are out of school for 2 weeks
14. Kids do not like washing their face in cold water.
15. Your 1972 honda civic gets to the grocery store as well as your 2012 Escalade… but the Honda allows money left over for heat, food, water, a generator, fire wood, a backup water pump, you get the idea..
16. The electrical grid is way more fragile than I thought.
17. Think of the things that are your comfort, your escape, a cup of hot chocolate, a glass of milk and a ding dong before bed, tequila, etc. Stock up on those too. You will need that comfort after day 3.
18. You quickly become the guy in the neighborhood who knows how to wire a generator to the electrical panel, directly wire the furnace to a small generator, or get the well pump up and running on inverter power or you are the guy whose Master’s degree in Accounting suddenly means nothing. (Love you Steve!)
19. A woman who can cook a fine meal by candle light over the BBQ or open fire is worth her weight in gold. And women, whose weight in gold, would not add up to much, usually die off first. Sorry skinny women.
20. It takes a lot of firewood to keep a fire going all day and into the evening for heat.
21. All the food storage in the world means nothing if your kids won’t eat it.
22. You might be prepared to take care of your children and their needs, but what about when the neighborhood children start to show up at your door?
23. Some people shut down in an emergency. There is nothing that you can do about that.
24. Your town, no matter how small is entirely dependent on outside sources of everything.
a. If supply trucks stop rolling in due to road damage, gas shortages or anything else you could be without for a long time.
25. In an emergency Men stock up on food, Women stock up on toilet paper.
26. I was surprised how many things run on electricity!
27. You can never have enough matches.
28. Although neighbors can be a great resource, they can also be a huge drain on your emergency storage. You need to know how you are going to handle that. It is really easy to be Bob the guy who shares on Day 3, not so easy on Day 11. Just reality.
29. Give a man a fish he eats for that day, teach a man to fish and he will never be hungry again.. Now I get it.
30. All of the expensive clothes in the closet mean nothing if they don’t keep you warm.
31. Same goes for shoes… Love you Honey!!!!
32. You cannot believe the utility companies. They are run by politicians!! Or so it seems,
33. Anything that you depend on someone else for is not avail anymore.
34. Quote “A man with a chainsaw that knows how to use it is a thing of beauty” hahaha
35. Most folks don’t have any emergency storage. They run to Wal-Mart and get water and batteries and then fill their tubs with water. That is it. A lucky few will get a case of ramen and a box of poptarts. That will be your neighbors supply. (especially if you live outside of Utah)
36. Fathers, all the money you have ever made means nothing if you can’t keep your kids warm.
37. Mothers, everything you have ever done for your kids is forgotten if your kids are hungry.
38. You really do not want to be the “Unprepared Parents” The kids turn on you pretty quick.
39. Small solar charging gadgets will keep you in touch. Most work pretty well it seems.
40. Most things don’t take much power to operate.
     a. Computers,
     b. Phones
     c. Radios
     d. TV
     e. lights
41. Some things take a ton of power to operate.
     a. Fridge
     b. Toaster
     c. Freezer
     d. Hot plate
     e. Microwave
42. When it gets dark at 4:30pm, the nights are really long without power.
43. Getting out of the house is very important. Even if it is cold. Make your home the semi- warm place to come home to.. not the cold prison that you are stuck in.
44. Someone in your family must play or learn to play guitar.
45. Things that disappeared are never to be seen again for a very long time.
      a. Fuel, of all kinds
      b. Matches, lighters of any kind, etc.
      c. Toilet paper
      d. Paper plates, plastic forks and knives
      e. Batteries, didn’t really see a need for them. (flashlights??? I guess)
      f. Milk
      g. Charcoal
      h. Spark plugs (generators)
      i. 2 stroke motor oil, (chainsaws)
      j. Anything that could be used to wire a generator to the house.
      k. Extension cords
      l. Medicines (Tylenol, advil, cold medicine, etc)

Spiritual Prep.

Last Thursday, Cindy Bair gave a great lesson on spiritual preparedness.  She talked about the book, Becoming His by Emily Freeman http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-His-Journey-Toward-Discipleship/dp/1609070542/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1365721906&sr=8-1&keywords=becoming+his+emily+freeman
 In this unique book, author Emily Freeman outlines a pattern of discipleship divided into twelve areas of focus, each containing invitations for personal growth, inspired counsel from prophets and apostles, and suggested scriptures to help us focus our efforts. As we follow this pattern, we come to understand that the process of discipleship has the power to transform and define us.
Cindy spoke about a young girl she was chaperoning in New York City who would often become easily distracted by things around her instead of staying focused and staying with her group.  Unlike this girl, we need to walk with purpose.  "Know where you're going", said Cindy.  We need to focus, have a plan and a goal in mind.  There was a quote that night that goes along with our need to prepare in all areas, "We should prepare ourselves one step at a time as the Lord so inspires us." 
Cindy had each of us write down a specific goal we wanted to accomplish now that would help us in our discipleship of Christ.  "Monitor your milestones," Cindy told us.  Later she's going to call us to see if we stayed true to our goal.  Better make sure you stay on top of it because she will call you!

Emergency Prep

We also got to hear from Mandy Pinneo that night teaching us about food storage.  Again it was a great lesson designed to get you motivated at whatever level you are.  There are two types of emergency prep.:  short term and long term.  Short term is an emergency, out of work and it has a time limit.  Long term is chaos, breakdown of everything, no stores, bartering.  Mandy told us to make a plan, whether that's going to your parents house and eating their food (that was our plan when we lived in Utah as students!) or gathering your own.  The same quote Cindy used in her lesson can be used with food storage.

 "We should prepared ourselves one step at a time as the Lord so inspires us." 

So little by little gather your food storage.  Don't jump ahead and think you need to get everything at once.  Most importantly, store what you eat, eat what you store.  Mandy used the good (1), better (2), best (3) system with preparation. 

Produce--Garden

1. grow something

--stick something edible in the ground or container!

2. grow enough

--enough food for your family

3. preserve it

--can it, dehydrate, freeze, etc.

 

Seeds

1. grow from transplants

--buy plants from already growing

2. grow from seeds

--stick seeds in the ground!

3. save the seeds

--after the growing season, save the seeds for next year

 

Trees

1. glean

--pick fruit from other people's trees (with permission of course!)

2. grow

--plant a tree!

3. preserve it

--can it, dehydrate, freeze it, etc

 

Store--Quick, easy and filling

1. recipe

--figure out what you want to eat

2. get the ingredients

--gather enough ingredients to make your recipe for a year

3. cook

--cook the food!

 

Remember, crisis is not the time to change you family's diet.  Practice what you will do.  Planned menus eliminate panic.  “The revelation to store food may be as essential to our temporal salvation today as boarding the ark was to the people in the days of Noah” Ezra Taft Benson (Ensign, Jan. 1974, pp. 69, 80).